


All the Bad We Can't Erase

by BergaraHoe (flannelfeelings)



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Amy Santiago Loves Jake Peralta, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Jake Peralta, Badass Jake Peralta, Brief Mentions of Blood, Brief Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Captain Holt is a dad TM, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Husband Jake Peralta, Jake Peralta Loves Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta: punching bigots in the face since s1, Married Couple, Mentions of slurs but no slurs are said, Peraltiago, Protective Jake Peralta, Racism, Sexism, amy santiago - Freeform, jake peralta - Freeform, please read notes in the beginning for a more detailed warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24066571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flannelfeelings/pseuds/BergaraHoe
Summary: The realities of being an interracial couple, even in the modern era, are sometimes forgotten to Jake Peralta.With the privelage of being a white man, he doesn't see nearly as much of the ugly world of intolerance that is truly out there.However, when he gets a small taste of it while out with Amy, his reaction is less than collected.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 17
Kudos: 275





	All the Bad We Can't Erase

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up before you read, because it's an upsetting topic:  
> this fic deals with some heavy issues like racism & sexism. There are two very racist characters (unnamed OCs, who get what's coming to them), and while slurs are mentioned none are actually written out or named, however the scene does exist and they do say some nasty things.
> 
> please enjoy and would love to hear your thoughts

Despite his tumultuous childhood and obvious financial struggles, Jake Peralta knew he was privileged. Truly, in every sense of the word. He was a white man in law enforcement, he’d never had to deal with racism or sexism or homophobia.

He didn’t take that for granted, especially not when he saw how these things affected his loved ones. Whether it was Holt’s struggle to maintain the respect of his colleagues as a gay man for the past thirty years, or Terry’s run-in with a racist uniformed officer, or Amy’s retelling of her corrupt captain at the 6-4.

While he didn’t personally have to suffer with opression, he was acutely aware of the way it ran rampant in their community. As a cop, he’d tried his damndest not to fall into the stereotype. He knew he’d never profile someone, he’d never use unnecessary force, he would always try everything possible before drawing his gun.

But his own awareness, unfortunately didn’t transfer to other people. He’d been in contact with plenty of corrupt, ignorant officers in his time. While everyone in the 99 worked tirelessly to take care of their community and protect its citizens rather than cultivate a culture of fear, they weren’t blind to the obvious reality surrounding the way most cops treated people. Particularly marginalized groups.

Still, they braved their community, badges bared proudly, confident that the people in their precinct knew that the cops in this area were here to protect them.

Today in particular, Rosa, Charles, Amy and Jake were out at a local staple for lunch, discussing a murder case Rosa and Boyle were working on. As they waited in line in the cluttered, loud crowd of people, Jake realized he had to pee.

“I gotta hit the can.” he told them, glancing at his wife, “Ames, can you please order for me?”

She nodded, “Enchiladas with green sauce?”

He grinned, “You know me so well.”

Jake excused himself from the line to rush off to the restroom. By the time he finished taking care of business, the group was already at the counter ordering. Rather than push back through the line to join them, he stepped off to the side with a crowd of people waiting for their orders and watched.

Rosa and Amy were both laughing with the familiar cashier, Mrs. Perez. She was a kind, older Latina woman who co-owned the restaurant with her husband. Amy and Jake had become quite familiar with her on their many trips to the restaurant during cases; the food was amazing and really cheap. The best combo for a couple on a budget.

Mrs. Perez said something in Spanish that Jake didn’t recognize, and the girls both laughed, explaining what was said to Charles who laughed too. Amy replied to Mrs. Perez, still speaking Spanish, and the woman touched her chest warmly as if Amy had complimented her.

“Think they’d learn to speak English, living in America.” someone waiting for their order muttered to Jake’s left.

Jake felt his shoulders stiffen as he turned, trying to see who’d made the remark. While he was aware that racist idiots like that existed, he’d never before heard someone say anything like that about his wife. He couldn’t tell who’d said it, so he turned back with his jaw clenched, watching Amy pass Mrs. Perez her credit card, while Charles insisted he’d cover it.

The same voice was closer to Jake now as the line moved up, and he heard it mutter, “Holding up the line with that shit.”

Another voice close by, a dude, chimed in. The voice replied with a racial slur that sent a freezing cold chill up Jake’s spine.

He jerked his head back to zero his eyes in on the offending pair, a couple of twenty-something white guys. They both wore pressed khakis and light polos, with slicked back hair and cheesy smirks.

“Hey.” Jake growled at the one who’d said the nasty word, “That’s my wife you’re talking about, asshole.”

Douchebag number 1, who’d initiated the conversation, snorted, “Look dude, just cause you’re trapped in a green card wedding doesn’t mean we don’t have freedom of speech.”

Jake felt his fists clench as he turned his whole body and shoved through a few people to get closer to the pair, “What the fuck did you just say?” He demanded.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Charles was beside him now, a hand on his shoulder as he appraised the two other men cautiously. Amy and Rosa were right behind him, confusion etched into their features.

Jake didn’t tear his eyes from the two men as he snapped, “Nothing.” And looked back at Amy’s concerned face. His heart shattered just a little at her expression, and he was grateful she hadn’t heard the awful remarks.

“Let’s go wait over there for our food.” Jake said coldly, shooting one last glare at the guys before gesturing across the restaurant. It was probably a good thing Charles had intervened before Jake caught an assault charge.

Douchebag number 2, the proud owner of a disgusting racist mouth, snorted and muttered, “Good call dude, wouldn’t want us getting your piece of ass sent back to whatever dirty country she came from.”

Before anyone could take a breath, Jake’s arm was swinging on pure instinct. His fist collided with the man’s face, and an ungodly crack rang out as Jake felt the man’s nose crumble under his knuckles. Blood spurted out over the man’s face and Jake’s hand, whose eyes widened as he followed through on the punch and realized he’d just broken someone’s nose.

He fought back the urge to gag, and looked at the man, who was now groaning in pain and cradling his steadily bleeding nose.

“You-you fucking punched him!” The other guy shouted in disbelief, “You’re a cop!”

Jake glanced down at the badge hanging from his neck, and then back to the bloody guy, “Detective Jake Peralta.” He responded, still somewhat in shock from what he’d just done.

In an instant, their order had been forgotten and Rosa was yanking on his arm, toting him out of the restaurant while Amy and Charles stayed back to handle the situation. Rosa shoved Jake out the front door of the restaurant onto the bustling street, leaving the gawking onlookers to stare through the windows.

“What the hell were you thinking Peralta?” Rosa demanded, “You just assaulted a civilian! People had their phones out dude, someone definitely filmed it!”

Jake wiped the blood on his jeans, grimacing as he swallowed back vomit. He shook his head, “I don’t know! I didn’t think, I just swung. He was being racist.”

Rosa scowled, “To Amy and me?”

He nodded, gnawing on his lip as he glanced inside where Charles and Amy were still talking with the duo. Mrs. Perez had left her post at the register to a younger cashier and was there talking with the group as well. It was likely that Jake had just gotten himself a lifetime ban from the restaurant.

“What did he say?” Rosa asked.

Jake shook his head, “I’d rather not repeat it, Rosa.”

She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair as she shot a quick glare inside, then back to her friend, “I heard some of his last comment. It was pretty ugly. Look, between you and me, I’m sure that guy needed to get clocked. But you can’t just go around punching everyone who’s mean to Amy. You’re gonna get yourself in huge trouble.”

Jake didn’t reply, because Charles and Amy were exiting the restaurant. The two guys were following, with Mrs. Perez and her husband on their heels, directing them out onto the street. Neither of them said anything to Jake as they rushed off away from the restaurant.

“How is your hand?” Amy asked as she approached Jake. Her expression was unreadable, but he knew she was disappointed in him. He’d probably just gotten himself suspended, if not earned some jail time.

He glanced down at his hand, which was stained red with blood and stung, but felt mostly fine. It wasn’t the first time he’d thrown a punch.

“I’m fine.” He looked over at the Perez’, “I’m sorry for making a scene in the restaurant.”

Mr. Perez shook his head, “Don’t be sorry _mijo._ We know what happened. You’re always welcome here, okay?”

Jake was surprised, but he nodded gratefully, “Thank you.”

The couple disappeared back into the restaurant, and Jake sighed heavily, looking up at his wife and friends unsurely.

“We should get back to the precinct.” Amy said shortly, holding her hands out to Jake, “Keys.” He fished in his pocket with his good hand and passed her the keys to his car. She jerked her head in the direction they’d parked, and they all started following her toward the car.

The ride back to the precinct was painfully silent. Even Charles seemed to know better than to fill the quiet with chatter.

* * *

Jake knew his day was about to get a whole lot worse when Captain Holt’s thundering voice boomed out, “Peralta! My office, _now._ ” as soon as the group stepped off the elevator.

Jake began the walk of shame across the bullpen, ignoring the eyes of his coworkers as he stepped into Holt’s office. The older man shut his door harshly, and pointed to the chair across from his desk. Jake sat dejectedly, not meeting the captain’s eyes.

“So.” Captain Holt started, “It’s been brought to my attention that you initiated a physical fight in the middle of a crowded restaurant, severely injured a civilian, and it was caught on tape. The video is already circulating on several social media sites.”

Even though he knew that was inevitable, Jake couldn’t help but feel his nerves spike at the concept of him assaulting someone being on the internet forever. That wasn’t going to look very good to his superiors in the NYPD.

“In the video, you also appear to announce your rank and full name to the victim.” Holt said sternly, “As if _taunting_ him to press charges.”

“Why don’t we skip the rehash and you just tell me my punishment?” Jake interrupted, “Suspended for a week? A month? Fired in disgrace?” His lighthearted tone was forced, and he knew the older man could tell he wasn’t nearly as cavalier about this as he was letting on.

Holt studied his subordinate for a moment, eyes combing over Jake’s bloodied hand and sagging shoulders. After a painfully tense silence, he spoke, “Peralta, are you aware that this is the second time I’ve discovered that you physically attacked a bigot?”

Jake lifted his head to look at Holt’s face, confusion etched across his features, “What?”

“I’m aware that you wanted to keep this a secret, but I know you punched Jimmy Brogan for being homophobic to me, several years ago.” Holt explained, voice still steady.

The younger man sighed heavily, “Holt...the guy today said some really awful-”

“I know Peralta, the person recording the incident captured most of the interaction, including the injured parties’ disgusting racist comments.”

Jake chewed on his lower lip nervously, brows furrowing, “I saw red. I wasn’t in control, just like with Brogan.”

Holt nodded thoughtfully, “I understand it can be difficult to hear this type of prejudice being used against someone you hold dear. It’s something Kevin and I have dealt with for our entire relationship. While I would normally advocate that violence is not the answer, I have to be honest Peralta, it seemed to be that this man deserved the shattered nasal cavity.”

Jake couldn’t help the surprise on his face, “Really? I’m...glad you feel that way.”

“I assume this man is going to press charges. While the department can’t stand with you on this, I would like to offer you the services of my personal attorney. I’m confident we can get the charges dropped or lessened.”

“Thank you sir.” Jake was shocked at this turn of events, but he definitely wasn’t going to turn down help from a surely expensive attorney that Holt trusted.

“As far as public image goes….” Holt grimaced, “There may be very divisive reactions to this, Peralta. This could be very bad for the NYPD. While I’m sure most rational people would side with you, it’s plausible that many will see this as police brutality and abuse of power. I will protect your job, but I can’t keep you safe on the streets.”

His expression was pointed. He wanted Jake to understand that if the video went viral, it’s possible that Jake was in danger from angry citizens.

Jake rubbed a hand across his face, unsettled by the thought of being known so widely by strangers, “I’m not worried about me. If someone were to attack me while Amy was there…”

“Sergeant Santiago can take care of herself.” Holt assured him.

“Oh, she can take care of _both_ of us.” Jake smiled a bit, but then his expression fell, “I just...I was trying to protect her, and I may have made things a lot harder on her.”

Holt met Jake’s eyes seriously, “That may be true. However, it should comfort your wife to know that she’s not alone against the armies of ignorance that sour our streets. The fight for equality is an endless one, it seems. A struggle that no one can overcome alone. You were impulsive, and a little stupid, but Santiago knows that your heart was in the right place. As do I.”

“Thanks.” Jake offered Holt a sheepish smile, “Sorry about all the paperwork you’re gonna have to do.”

The captain scowled, “You may leave my office now, Peralta. I will update you as the situation progresses. In the meantime, go home for the day.”

“But Cap-” Jake started to argue.

“That’s an order, Detective. Go wash your hands.”

Jake glanced down at his still disgusting hand, and sighed. He exited Holt’s office, closing the door behind him with a feeling of finality.

Well, that definitely could’ve been worse.

His eyes scanned across the room until they met Amy’s, who was leaning against his desk, chewing on her fingernails. He moved toward her, taking long strides to reach her quickly, and began to speak before she cut him off.

“Not here.” she shook her head, grabbing his wrist and toting him across the floor. He followed her until they reached the evidence lockup, shutting the door quietly.

“Amy,” he said as soon as they were alone, “I’m so sor-”

She cut him off by pulling him close and pressing her lips against his. He was surprised by it, but definitely didn’t argue. Jake leaned in, cupping her face with his clean hand and feeling himself relax in her embrace as their bodies molded together. There was nothing that a kiss from Amy couldn’t fix.

Well, almost nothing.

“Don’t you _dare_ apologize for defending my honor.” She murmured after they’d separated.

“I was stupid.” He said, “And I wasn’t thinking, and I just made things really difficult for us-”

“I don’t care.” she cut him off, “That guy was a fucking dick, and he needed his face broken. Honestly, if I weren’t such a rule-follower, I’d have done it myself. I’m glad I have you on my team, Jake. There’s no talking to people like that. Sometimes the only way to get through is by force.”

Jake felt his worries and stress start to melt away at his wife’s soft voice. She always knew just what to say to comfort him, even when he royally fucked up. Which was more often than he’d like to admit.

“I know that this isn’t my fight.” he said quietly, “And I’ll _never_ be able to understand your experience. But I’m here for you Ames. I wanna take on this fucked up world together. Is that...okay?”

Amy chuckled, “Of course it is, Jake. That’s what we agreed to when we got married.”

Jake ran his hand across her beautiful face; letting the pads of his fingers gently caress her smooth skin. The curve of her little button nose, the bow in her lips, the long lashes that brushed her cheeks. The understanding and love in her glimmering brown eyes. The waves of dark, thick hair that fell around her shoulders.

He’d definitely made a mistake today, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. He knew that even though he’d made things really hard for them, he’d do it again in a heartbeat. The woman beneath his hands was the most important thing in the universe, and he’d be _damned_ if he let anyone get away with disparaging her on his watch.

“You’re an incredible wife, sargeant, and person.” He murmured, leaning in to press his lips against hers once more, “I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you as my partner.”

“I just got low standards.” She teased with a quick shrug.

He felt himself smiling in spite of the day’s events. Shit was messed up out there, and he couldn’t protect her from the realities of the insidious racism that would affect her, and most likely their children for the rest of their lives. But he could always show her that he was on her side, and they could handle anything if they were together.

“I’m sorry that I can’t fix the world.” Jake found himself saying.

“What a silly thing to apologize for.” Amy murmured, leaning forward to nestle her face in the crook of his neck.

“I love you, Ames.”

“I love you too Jake. Thanks for always having my back.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze, “Always.”

Amy sighed heavily, and the sound of her stomach grumbling filled the silence, “I’m sure you got sent home for the day. Care to go get us some food, since you did interrupt lunch?”

Jake laughed, planting a quick kiss to her forehead before pulling away and saying, “Of course. Text me Charles and Rosa’s orders.”

“You got it. Now get going. And don’t punch anyone this time!”

“No promises!” He teased as he headed out of lockup. The sound of her laughter followed him out of the room, and he let it comfort him on his way to the elevator.

The world sucked, but being Amy Santiago's husband didn’t. And as long as he had her, things would always seem just a _little_ less terrible.


End file.
